Laura Nathanson, MD, WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW CAN KILL YOU (2007)

 
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PostPosted: Wed May 04, 2011 11:01 pm    Post subject: Laura Nathanson, MD, WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW CAN KILL YOU (2007) Reply with quote

NATHANSON, LAURA, MD


WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW CAN KILL YOU: A PHYSICIAN'S RADICAL GUIDE TO CONQUERING THE OBSTACLES TO EXCELLENT MEDICAL CARE (2007)

The author has been a pediatrician. She lost her husband a few years ago due in part to some mismanagement of his medical data. She gives details about his illness as she proceeds with her collection of excellent suggestions for anyone facing medical procedures.

Her book is very valuable because she is speaking with insider knowledge. She knows enough about hospitals and doctors to be aware of where the potential problems are.

She urges patients to get hold of their medical records AND to comb through them carefully, being alert for errors and omissions. She recommends substituting the words thing and thingy for nouns and adjectives that are "medicalese" in any medical report, then rereading it in order to get at the kernel of language that is understandable to the layperson.

Radiologists' reports seem especially apt to have important omissions, possibly because the radiologist is typically remote from the actual patient.

Dr. Nathanson also recommends having a spouse or relative or friend with you in the hospital to act as a "sentinel." She gives special attention to the long waits as hospital inpatients are taken for Xrays and other procedures and outlines specific details about how best to transport the person to and from the location and what to do while waiting. She stresses the importance of making sure that any catheters or IVs connected to the patient will be trouble-free during the long waits.

Her fundamental message is one that needs to be stressed: Patients shouldn't accept medical procedures and advice unquestioningly. They should investigate the qualifications of the persons they are dealing with. They should question the substance of anything in writing concerning their case. They should even make sure that any specimens taken are actually theirs and not somebody else's, as mistakes do happen.
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